Chicago teachers accept COVID deal, keeping kids in school

Chicago teachers accept COVID deal, keeping kids in school

SeattlePI.com

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CHICAGO (AP) — Students in the nation's third-largest school district returned to classrooms Wednesday after Chicago Public Schools canceled five days of classes amid a standoff with the teachers' union over COVID-19 safety protocols.

Their return happened the same day the full membership of the Chicago Teachers Union narrowly gave their stamp of approval to the hard-fought safety plan that includes expanded testing and metrics to shut down individual schools during outbreaks. It passed with roughly 56% of the vote.

Leaders of the union gave their tentative approval two days earlier allowing students to return. They urged members to accept it, acknowledging that teachers didn't get initial demands including a commitment to flip to remote learning districtwide during a surge of COVID-19 infections.

“This vote is a clear show of dissatisfaction with the boss," Union President Jesse Sharkey said in a statement, referring to Mayor Lori Lightfoot. “This agreement covers only a portion of the safety guarantees that every one of our school communities deserve ... Our members’ vote today represents a union’s, and a city’s, frustration with a mayor that has simmered since the beginning of this pandemic.

Lightfoot and Schools CEO Pedro Martinez issued a joint statement saying they were pleased with the vote and the agreement would guarantee “predictability and stability for the rest of the school year” in the roughly 350,000-student district.

“We all agree we must prioritize the health and well-being of everyone in our school communities including our kids, families, and staff," they said.

Chicago's struggles to keep educating children during the omicron variant's surge are similar to those faced by districts across the country, but the latest high-profile fight between...

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